


Mythology

by ani725



Category: Sailor Moon - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Mythology - Freeform, Non-Chronological
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-12
Updated: 2014-03-12
Packaged: 2018-01-15 13:01:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1305736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ani725/pseuds/ani725
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Artemis and Luna call the senshi together in order to teach them more about their powers. This includes going over things such as name meanings and the mythology that became associated with them here on Earth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mythology

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Sailor Moon, although I am working on getting all the manga since the re-release.
> 
> Hello there everyone! This was originally Ruki44's story on FF.net, but she only made a small list of mythology. She started it but never got around to finishing it (according to her it was just something she did to make herself busy so she could avoid doing her homework). So I asked and she graciously gave me reign to take over. This explanation is set after the actual end of the series (so that Hotaru can be a teen and know that she's Sailor Saturn, and I decided for Mamoru and Usagi to be married by this point). All research is done by myself, although it will only be rudimentary research so that some sort of connection with the series can be made to the myths and origins. I hope that you enjoy and if there is anything that you find wrong with anything here, feel free to message me, and as always, please read and review!
> 
> P.S. At some point partway through, you'll find a couple of asterisks. The notes for them are at the end.

They sat around the table. It was slightly crowded, but Rei's house was the only place they could have this meeting. Everyone had managed to make it, so this would be a lot easier.

"Thank you for all coming here." Luna sat on the table with Artemis next to her. "We've asked all of you here today because we have an exercise for all of you. You will be given information and are to use the information to discover more about yourselves through what is told to you. Some of you may have heard all of this before, some of you won't have." Luna made a circle as she looked at the others. "Learning this will help you in figuring our where all of your powers lie."

"It was great that all of you could make it." Artemis looked at the four people sitting to one side, three adults and a teen.

Diana looked at her parents from where she sat on Chibi-Usa's lap. "What is it that you're going to tell us?"

Chibi-Usa looked down at Diana. "You mean you don't know either?" The kitten looked up and shook her head.

"It's quite simple dear. Mythology; what do any of you know about it?" Luna took a seat in front of Usagi and Mamoru.

Ami spoke up first. "Mythology, defined as a group of myths that belong to a particular people or culture and tell about their ancestors, heroes, gods and other supernatural beings, and history."

"Myths can come from a large group of sources." Haruka added. "Usually though they were devised from the truth of a story and embellished over time to give them an otherworldly sense."

"You are both very correct." Luna looked at the two of them. "All of you in your present sense, including your powers, are connected to the myths that we will tell you. Some of these myths are actually based off you."

"Luna, can we just get started...I'm hungry!" Usagi whined.

"Usagi..." Luna's eye twitched at the whining of her charge."Don't worry. I'll take you somewhere to eat on our way home." Mamoru told both his wife and future daughter. Both eyes looked loving at him and he just smiled.

He asked as he turned back towards Luna and Artemis, "Where will be starting?"

Artemis looked at Luna and answered, "It will be easiest if we start with Usagi and her connections to the myths of the moon."

Usagi nodded excitedly. Luna continued. "Firstly, when you were Princess of the Moon Kingdom your name was Serenity, you know this. There was a group of people here on Earth at the time that greatly admired you." Luna looked around again. "All of you. The Greeks revered you and based their Gods and Goddesses on you, although there were other cultures on Earth that did so as well. So as Princess Serenity, to the Greeks, you became Selene."

"How do you know?" Usagi asked.

"One of the most famous stories of Selene is how she fell in love with a shepherd, although some think he was a King or a hunter instead, named Endymion. We of course know that he was a Prince. She was desperately in love with him and asked her father Zeus for his help. He allowed the young man to decide his own fate: either live his mortal life or sleep for eternity. The young man chose eternal sleep, so that he could be with Selene for eternity. She visited him every day."

Mamoru looked at Usagi and smiled. "Well we at least know that myth is true."

"She actually has another tie to you Mamoru." Artemis continued from where Luna left off. "One of Selene's brothers was the sun god Helios."

"Really?" Chibi-Usa looked surprised and Artemis nodded and continued.

"Even Elysium, Endymion's kingdom, became a myth, becoming a sort of heaven where only those chosen by the gods could spend the afterlife.""That hardly seems fair." Diana told her father."Yes honey, I know."

"Anyway, back to Helios a moment," Luna looked at Usagi, "Helios was said to drive the chariot that pulled the sun across the sky daily as Selene, his sister, was the one to drive the chariot that pulled the moon across the sky each night.""That sounds like how it actually is." Ami said.

"How do you mean?" Rei asked her."Well, Usagi guards the Silver Crystal, substituted in myth by the moon, and Helios is the guardian of the Golden Crystal, substituted in myth by the sun." Ami stated looking at Rei.

"You're right!" Rei exclaimed.

"What else is there about me?" Usagi now was very excited."You of course know that your name means 'Rabbit of the Moon', correct?" Luna asked hoping against all odds that she couldn't be so dimwitted as to not know that.

"Of course I do!" Usagi blushed lightly, giving the hint that she knew but hadn't really ever thought about it.

"Ok, but do you know why that is relevant to you? All of you. Your names were all chosen for very specific reasons, although I highly doubt your parents ever even gave them a second thought." Luna looked around the room. Turning back to Usagi she continued, "Have you ever heard the story of the Jade Rabbit?"

Rei spoke up. "I've never even thought to connect those two!" A few heads around the room nodded in agreement.

"What? What connection is there?" Usagi looked at the room frantic trying to figure out what they knew.

"There are many different versions to this story, but the basis of it is this." Artemis told her as he shifted to get more comfortable before continuing. "There were three spirits who disguised themselves as old men. These three old men asked food from a monkey, a fox and a rabbit. The monkey and fox had food that they gave to the old men, but the rabbit having nothing to give threw himself on the fire. The spirits, touched by the rabbit's virtue allowed the rabbit to then live in the Jade Palace on the moon."Luna looked at Usagi. "Do you remember giving yourself up when Endymion was hurt? And then later when you fought against...well any of your enemies. The story of the rabbit's virtue is that of your virtue. You were named for that virtue. There's no way that your parents could have known that you would be Sailor Moon, but part of them, possibly their Star Seeds, who knows, recognized yours at birth for what it was. They recognized that you're the reincarnation of Serenity, tying you to these myths and legends, all of you. Something was recognized in you by your parents in order to name you as such that you were."

Makoto looked at Luna. "So how does it relate to the rest of us?"

"We will get to each of you in turn, eventually. We would like to finish with Usagi though." Artemis said kindly."Well actually Artemis the only thing connecting to the moon still left is our names and Diana's."Chibi-Usa asked Luna. "What's your connection?"

"For the Greeks, another moon goddess was Artemis and the Roman's equated her with Diana. Then another group of people here on Earth, called the Spanish now, used the word luna to mean 'moon'."

"Hm. That was all that was left." Artemis turned to Ami. "Ami and Mercury are next."

~x~

The group sat around the table, each now eagerly awaiting their turn.

Artemis looked at Ami. "Ami and Mercury are next. Ami what do you know about the myths of Mercury?"

Ami blushed faintly. "Surprisingly little actually."

"Wow. Ami doesn't know something? That's weird." Minako commented and Usagi nodded. Minako continued. "Usually she's the one correcting everyone else!"

Rei commented. "But she's not correcting anyone and you don't know anything about the myths of Mercury either."

Minako flushed and turned to Rei. "Yeah so?"

Rei looked at Minako and sparks flew between them. Artemis smiled and looked at the two of them.

"Calm down both of you, please." He turned back to Ami. "You said you knew a little. What do you know?"

"I know that Mercury is the Roman God equivalent of Hermes."

"Anything else?" Ami shook her head. "Well that is correct. Hermes was the Greek God of many things, very little of which they did take from you. One thing they did take though was that he was the messenger of the gods, as you are and were the messenger of information. When something needs to be known about an enemy, your computer helps deliver the knowledge we need."

"Yes I do. It never occurred to me to think of it that way."

"Have you ever wondered about why you want to be a doctor?"

"There's no need to wonder about that. I've always wanted to be a doctor because of my mom." Ami made it seem like such an easy answer.

"That may be true, but there are deeper reasons." Luna picked up where Artemis left off. "One of Hermes' symbols was the caduceus, which went on to become the symbol of physicians everywhere."

"I never thought there could be a reason beyond my mother."

"Moving back to Mercury, he was attributed with the creation of the lyre, which you use in some of your attacks." Luna told her.

"You said before about each of our names being related to our myths. What about that?" Michiru asked.

Luna glanced over at her and looked back at Ami. "As Sailor Mercury you use water in your attacks. You always have. Did you ever think it was odd that your last name means 'field of water'?"

"Actually I did know that. Shortly after you and Usagi found me I realized that I used water because of my name." Ami told her.

"Should have expected that." Rei said laughing.

Artemis laughed and stated, "Well technically, it's the other way around, but yes we should have figured you'd know that already. Not much actually connects the myths to you. We're not really sure why..."

"Moving on to Minako and Sailor Venus though," Luna faced Minako, but looked back at Artemis quickly. "Oh we forgot the transformation signs."

"Oh yeah..." Artemis chuckled nervously.

"What do you mean?" Ami asked.

Luna answered. "The Romans, who named their gods after your kingdoms, used your transformation signs to represent the planets."

"The ones on our crystals?" Ami asked and Luna nodded.* **  
**

"Well that's interesting." Minako said. "Anyway what are my myths?"

"Well firstly your name, as all of you should know what your names mean, means 'beautiful little child of love'." Luna told her. "This connects to the Roman goddess Venus and her Greek counterpart Aphrodite in that they are both goddesses of love and beauty."

"Do you know why I was sent to find you?" Artemis asked her.

"No. You never told me why." Minako replied.

"You are the only one who was given ties to the myths of the moon, most likely because you were the leader of the inner senshi. I was sent because of this connection; there are two craters on Venus that are named after Artemis: Artemis Chasma and Artemis Corona. Artemis, as we said before, was a moon goddess. So why give a moon goddess recognition elsewhere? We believe it was because of your leadership status, as a way to commemorate it."

Minako turned towards Rei and stuck her tongue out. "I was in charge, so hah!"

Rei stuck her tongue out in response and replied, "So. You're still a ditz!"

Artemis sighed. "Girls could you please keep quiet?" Both girls hushed up.

Michiru chuckled. "You know, thinking about all of our myths has reminded me of something. In the myths that I know Aphrodite is credited as having many lovers. One of her favorites though was Ares." Ami laughed at this.

Minako and Rei looked at the both of them. "Why is that so funny?" Rei asked.

Luna answered with a smile. "Because that takes us to you. Ares is the Greek equivalent of Mars."

Rei blushed and Minako sputtered. "That's ridiculous!"

"Anyway though, Ares is the Greek peoples equivalent of the Roman god Mars. Ares was the God of War." Luna paused. "Why did you name your crows Phobos and Deimos?"

Rei furrowed her eyebrows. "When I was younger they were always hanging around and they would only stay near me. One day Grandpa told me that I should give the two of them names. I named them Phobos and Deimos after the two moons of Mars. Shortly after that is when you and Usagi found me."

Luna nodded solemnly. "You've had those two crows a long time. They were with you in your kingdom and that has always been their names. The Greeks used this information and claimed that Phobos and Deimos were two of Ares' sons, naming the moons that they found with Mars after them."

"Oh wow." Rei looked out through the window into the tree where she knew the two were perched. "I'd have never guessed. I knew they were special for me, but I always thought it was because I was the 'spirit of fire' I was named for."

Luna continued, "That is part of it. You, just as everyone else, were named for fire because as Mars you use fire. The Greeks likened this to Ares as well. They told it as the chariot that pulled Ares was drawn by fire-breathing horses."

"How could people believe something like that?" Makoto asked.

"People use myths in order to rationalize the world. A tale of a chariot pulled by mythical fire-breathing horses is a way for people to keep what they know to be true and tell others so that they may understand someone with a magical connection to fire." Hotaru spoke up for the first time since she'd arrived.

"You're right. Forming tales from and about us would have been the best, and the easiest way for those who did understand and know us to tell those who had a tougher time to grasp the knowledge that we protect the world." Haruka said agreeing with her charge.

"On the subject of stories," Luna looked at Makoto. "We move on to one of the most prolific people in these myths; Zeus. Better known to you as Jupiter."

~x~

The group sat around the table, some eagerly awaiting what they would learn about themselves.

Luna continued. "Makoto, you're next. As I said Zeus, whose Roman counterpart is Jupiter, is one of the most prolific Gods in myth. Your attacks are based on lighting and wood, and the people equated this to Zeus. The lightining bolt became his symbol and the weapon that he himself used."

Rei chuckled. "You became a guy..."

Artemis looked over at her. "So did you. And Ami, Michiru...actually all of you did except for Minako and Usagi."

Rei flushed and shut her mouth. Luna nodded at Artemis in thanks and continued. "Your name of course means 'faithfulness of wood',"** Makoto nodded, "drawing more from your attacks than the myths of Jupiter. Zeus was also known for sleeping around." Makoto blushed at this. "Not that it actually was that way. You were known for falling in love easily as you do now. Of course though, within the myths, you became the father of many children. Among them was Artemis."

"Well at least THAT part wasn't true." Makoto said laughing and sighed. She seemed lost in thought a moment before returning her attention to the white cat who had picked up the conversation.

"As far as we can tell that's really it. Like Ami, not much was actually attached to you." He smiled and turned to the four people not usually seated at this table.

"Haruka. You as Uranus are next."

"Wait, wouldn't Hotaru be next?" Chibi-Usa asked. She looked over at one of her closest friends and the dark-haired girl smiled back at her gently.

"That'll be explained when we get to it. For now we're going to move onto Haruka and Michiru." Luna told the young girl.

Artemis continued. "In Greek mythology you are Uranus, original ruler of the universe. Your name even translates to "the king of heaven". It is said that you lost your throne to your son Cronus when he," the cat cringed at the next word, "castrated you." A shiver ran through the small male and he shook it off.

Diana and Chibi-Usa looked at each other before the kitten looked up to her parents and asked, "What's that mean?"

All four parents looked at each other nervously. "Um...well..."Artemis started to say.

Mamoru saved the cat from answering and looked at both little girls as he told them, "Don't worry about it for now. Ask again when you're a little older. Just know that it's something you never want to do to a man."

The two of them sighed. "We're too young to know anything important." Chibi-Usa told the kitten who nodded in agreement.

Artemis continued, shaking his head at his daughter and her keeper. "Your...'part' was then thrown into the ocean, which eventually became part of one of the many birth myths of Aphrodite. That particular myth states the Aphrodite rose from the foam that was created when it landed in the ocean." Minako and Haruka looked at each other, the older blond smiling joyfully and the younger flushing.

Haruka laughed and shook her head. "Please continue Artemis."

He cleared his throat and stated, "We actually weren't able to find much else on you. I'm sure there's more, we just haven't found it yet."

"You know..." Michiru started to say looking up in thought, placing a finger on her chin. She glanced over at her lover and continued. "You actually being a castrated male in the past would explain a lot of how you are now..."

Haruka lightly slapped the blue-haired woman on her shoulder. "Shush. We don't speak of such things outside the bedroom."*** Both women laughed and some of the others joined in but it was short lived.

Luna continued. "Yes, anyway though, we'll be moving on to Michiru. You became Neptune, or Poseidon in Greek, ruler of the oceans. This just makes sense as your attacks are not just water-based, but specifically ocean-based. As Poseidon you were one of Zeus' brothers. Your attacks became attributed to Poseidon through his ability to cause storms and earthquakes. Your parents named you "rising sea king" in honor of Poseidon's connections to you, subconsciously of course." She nodded at the woman and turned to the last two members of the group.

"I know that it's getting late and people have things they need to do." Turning her head to look at Usagi she mumbled under her breath, "Such as study..."

Usagi scratched the back of her head and laughed. "Why do you think we scheduled the meeting for now! This way all of us were already here so that we could study after."

"Then why did you conveniently forget your books? Again?" Rei asked her.

"Oops?" Usagi smiled childishly and averted her eyes.

Luna just shook her head. "Anyway though, let's get this finished up then. Hotaru, you and Setsuna will be discussed together."

~x~

The two dark-haired women sat next to each other both looking at the cat. They were the only two left to hear anything about themselves.

Setsuna spoke first. "Well, Luna, Artemis, what did you want to discuss the two of us together?"

Luna sighed. "Well, this is where our research gets interesting. From everything that we've discovered you two were remembered the same as you were, but at the same time you were mixed together."

"What do you mean?" Hotaru asked.

The black cat continued. "Well, Setsuna you were transformed into Hades, brother of Poseidon and Zeus, and ruler of the underworld and the dead, which should have been Hotaru. Meanwhile Hotaru you became Cronus, the titan that ruled over time."

Artemis picked up the conversation. "The ancient peoples for some reason switched your powers around when they translated you to the myths."

"But you said that part of them was kept the same too." Ami stated from across the table.

Artemis looked at her and nodded. "Part of them was kept the same. Cronus' symbol was kept as a scythe and he became a god of agriculture, and therefore time; while one of Hades' symbols was the key because of the gate to the underworld, which really should have been the Time Gate."

"This is odd." Haruka stated.

Michiru countered. "Not really. Remember when we were first looking for the vessel of Sailor Saturn so that we could stop her from waking?" Haruka nodded. "We never even thought to look for a young girl because it was difficult to think of a child being associated with death in such a way."

"Yes. That would make sense then." she answered her lover, catching on the meaning of her words. Setsuna nodded in agreement.

"What makes sense?" Hotaru asked looking at all three of her guardians.

"Who wants to think of a young girl being in charge of death? So in order for your story to still be told, it had to be changed to someone else. Someone who was an adult. You and I are the closest to each other, more so than anyone else is, so it only makes sense that they would entwine the two of our myths in order for them to stay around."

Luna whispered to Artemis, "How come we didn't think of that?" He shrugged and looked at her sheepishly.

"Is there anything else?"

"Yes, your names are still connected to the myths." Artemis told them. He shifted a little before laying down to get comfortable before continuing. "Hotaru your name is 'firefly sprouting from the Earth', which could have been a reference to Cronus becoming an agriculture god, yet at the same time it could also be a reference to a light rising from the ground, meaning a spirit moving from its Earthly body to take its place in the afterlife, therefore sticking to your original role as keeper of death." Artemis turned to the cat seated next to him. "I'm gonna go get something to drink quick, finish up for me please?" Luna nodded and he stood and walked off towards the kitchen where a small bowl of water was kept for the three cats to use when needed.

Once he was gone from the room Luna stated, "Trust a man to not finish what he starts." She shook her head lightly and faced Setsuna. "Anyway though, your name is a little tougher to translate(*), but we got two meanings that connect it to your myths. 'Dark king of Pluto' or 'moment of Pluto' were the clearest that we could get. Either one would work as, like Hotaru's, it could refer to what you were, or what you became. If we go by who you were, then 'moment of Pluto' applies as you are the Guardian of Space and Time, where if we go with who you became, 'dark king of Pluto' applies because you became the god of death, therefore making you darker than the others would have been. We figure that while the others were easy, your parents had to find something that fit both descriptions, therefore in a sense making your names more special than the others."

"Hey!" Usagi cried out at the implication in Luna's voice.

The cat rolled her eyes and looked at the blond. "I said their  **names** were more special."Anyway though, with that said, that's everything that we could find. So I must say that this meeting is over now."

Everyone stood and stretched. Ami grabbed her things and set them on the table while the others did the same. The four special visitors started toward the door.

Hotaru felt a tug on the back of her shirt and her name being called. "Hotaru, do you wanna go to the park with me and Papa?" The raven turned and looked at her best friend.

"Can I go?" she asked the three women who had raised her. The all looked over at Mamoru, who stood next to Usagi, and back to each other. Haruka smiled and nodded.

"Of course you can. Just be home in time for dinner." Setsuna told her sternly.

"I will!" Hotaru smiled and Chibi-Usa nearly dragged her out the door.

The pink haired girl called over her shoulder, "Papa! Hotaru and I'll be waiting outside for you!"

"Ok." he called back.

The three older women shook their heads and sighed, heading outside themselves and towards the steps that lead to shrine and the house.

Back inside, Mamoru was trying to stop Usagi from throwing a tantrum.

"But you said we'd go for ice cream when we were done!"

"You neglected to mention the fact that you had a study group today."

"That's not the point!"

"Her being a caring Princess, my ass..." Mamoru whispered to himself.

Usagi noticed he'd said something that wasn't very nice and asked tightly, "What was that?"

"Nothing. But you not mentioning having to study is the point. You  **need**  to study." He looked at her lovingly and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I'm going to take Chibi-Usa and Hotaru to the park now. After your done here give me a call and I'll come pick you up. We'll go for ice cream then, ok?"

Usagi sighed dejectedly. "Ok fine."

He smiled and placed a kiss on her lips. She walked with him to the door and he waved as he walked away with two little girls in tow.

She made her way back to the table and sat. She looked at her friends, each either opening their book or writing something.

Ami glanced up and handed her some pages from one of her notebooks. "Here's the problems I want you to practice. Since you don't have your books, you'll have to answer them from what you remember."

Usagi took the pages and looked them over. She dropped them onto the table and huffed, "I don't wanna do these!"

"Well to bad, you have to." Reid told her.

"What about Minako! Her grades are just as bad as mine!" she nearly shouted.

Minako looked at the other blond, eye twitching. "I'm not the one that 'accidentally' forgot to grab her books. Besides I have actual schoolwork that needs to be done."

"I did forget to bring them! And it wasn't on purpose!"

"Girls, can we just study? I know none of you really want to, but that's why we're here..." Ami asked.

Both blond's ignored her and continued to bicker.

"Just ignore them. They'll calm themselves down at some point..." Makoto told her.

Siting on a cushion against the wall, all three cats sighed. "It's going to be a long afternoon..." Artemis stated. The other two just looked at him nodding and cringed at the sound of a book hitting the wall, followed by more shouting.

"Stop it guys! My Grandpa's gonna come check soon if you keep that up!" Rei yelled as loud as she dared to.

The three cats just sighed again as the arguing continued. Yeah. It was gonna be a LONG afternoon...

**Author's Note:**

> * I win! I had to find someway to work this in without it being just from the anime or the manga because the manga has one form more than the anime and this is after the end of both, but I managed it!  
> ** Originally I had 'the strength of wood' but 'faithfulness' is the better translation. Either one worked though; in Japanese astrology wood symbolizes strength and flexibility.  
> *** This was I think one of my favorite lines from in Stars (SM season 5).  
> (*) Her name is actually tough to find a translation for...-.-'


End file.
